Career Criminal & Drug Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years After Using Handgun to Threaten Evansville Detectives During Arrest

EVANSVILLE- Binnie Y. Bryant Jr., 36, of Evansville, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, in 2024, Evansville Police Department detectives discovered a social media video showing Bryant displaying two semi-automatic pistols. Bryant is prohibited under federal law from possessing any firearm due to an extensive history of felony convictions, including two counts of armed robbery, four counts of criminal recklessness, two counts of intimidation, failure to register as a sex offender, trafficking a controlled substance with an inmate, residential entry, dealing marijuana with a prior drug conviction, resisting law enforcement, and battery against a public safety officer.

On January 23, 2024, uniformed detectives approached Bryant as he walked near an intersection and attempted to stop him. Bryant immediately fled on foot and violently resisted arrest once apprehended. During the struggle, Bryant reached toward his waistband, grabbed the handle of a Glock pistol, and attempted to draw it. Detectives were able to disarm him and take him into custody without further incident. A search of Bryant's pockets revealed 20.8 grams of heroin, 96.5 grams of THC, and two digital scales.

In recorded jail calls from the Vanderburgh County Corrections Complex, Bryant admitted to a woman that he fled because he knew he was illegally carrying a firearm. He further stated that he "tried to pull my s**t out and get to dumpin on thy ass on god." Dumping is a common street term meaning to shoot at someone.

"This defendant's long history of violent crime and his attempt to draw a firearm on officers underscore exactly why federal firearm laws exist. When individuals with violent felony records continue to arm themselves, we will act decisively," said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. "This sentence makes clear that those who threaten our community and the officers who protect it will be held fully accountable."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman

U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who prosecuted this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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